The most exciting news ever!

I am so excited to share the most exciting news ever!  I was not able to blog as I like to while I was in Costa Rica serving with the team.  At first we didn't have internet.  Then I was simply too tired.  We would come home and I'd go straight to bed, then wake up and head out again.  The team did so many awesome things that I couldn't share with you.

One of the things I wish I had written in the moment was when my cousin, Doug, and his wife, Debbie, shared that they have a friend who is dying from cancer.  He is their neighbor in Costa Rica.  He was in Panama receiving treatment, so the male side of the team all lived in his house during their mission.  We prayed for Marc for several days.  Finally on the last night we broke into groups and prayed all through Marc's house.  We prayed outside, in every room, and all gathered on the roof at the end where we sang songs of praise and worship.  We joined hands and declared God's presence there.

Debbie had been planting seeds for a long time.  Marc had gotten down to 100 pounds and was clearly dying.  She and Doug were really anxious for Marc to be saved before he passed.  Debbie has given Marc a bible and talked to Marc about God, but he always made it clear he was not interested.

After the prayer in Marc's house the cleaning ladies said they felt a difference there.  I know that as we finished our time of prayer in the house I was speaking to one of the girls on the team and both of us felt very positive about how God would work there.

Last night Doug and Debbie saw Marc.  He told them he accepted Christ as his savior!  He said that he couldn't wait to tell people.  The man who was treating Marc in Panama told Marc the only chance he had to heal was through God.  Marc told Doug and Debbie that he believes in the trinity, just like they do.  He got up and danced to show them how much better he is feeling.

I am amazed at all of the good news I am hearing today.  God never fails to amaze!  Today I also received an email from Lad, the Assistant Pastor of my church in the US.  He said that K2 is starting a new team to work together with my church in Honduras.  He said I will be to contact person here in Honduras.  He asked what we need, what our goals are, and how K2 can help us achieve the goals.  Sounds great!

Also, Lourdes and Jairo had a successful meeting on Tuesday and plan to leave for San Jose, California, in about 2 weeks.  That is really good news for them, although I will miss the Sarmientos very much.

My bus ride yesterday was relatively uneventful.  All in all I was traveling for 21 hours.  It was a super long day.  But I'd do it again.  Costa Rica was great, serving with the team from Virginia was a very special experience.

PS:  I came home to a table and fridge full of food.  My landlords rock!

Adios Costa Rica

Wrapping things up in Costa Rica.  Went today to help my cousin get some paperwork he needed for taxes and zoning or something.  Those things are always fun - especially in a different language.  Turned out in the end he really didn't need me as much for that as to buy dog food in a pet store.  Hahaha.

We planned to spend the afternoon in the water but there is a horrendous wind that feels like a hurricane outside, so we're stuck indoors.

Tonight someone is picking me up at 1:30 in the morning to take me to the bus station.  The bus leaves at 4:00 a.m.  If all goes as planned I should be back in Tegucigalpa by 8:30 tomorrow night.  My landlords are meeting me at the bus station in Tegucigalpa.  They are so good to me!  I hope the bus is on time.

It's been great to be with my cousin and his wife.  We haven't been able to do this before, so it was really nice.  I had a lot of delicious meals, met some great people, had family time, got to serve the team from Virginia.  Now it is time to go back to Honduras.

Among other things, I will miss the fact that people here spay/neuter their animals and treat them as we do in North America.  I like seeing kids riding bicycles all over the place.  It's super nice to be able to stroll on the beach without concern of being kidnapped or mugged.  But I am eager to get back home to Jetty, my Honduran friends, and the kids at the Breakfast Program.

Tomorrow is the day Lourdes and Jairo go to renew their childrens' visas.  I will spend my time on the bus praying for them when I am not sleeping.  You may want to pray too.  I'll tell you how it turns out for them.

Hope to make it back to Costa Rica again.  It's been a lot of fun!

My first surfing injuries

Yesterday we got a late start on surfing because Doug and Debbie are helping the lady who cleans their house to draw up plans for a house of her own.  Deyanira said her dream house is similar to one of their friends' so we walked through the friend's house, measuring and making small changes here and there.  Doug drafted it all out on paper.  Deyanira was excited to leave yesterday with a plan for the house that will go on a lot of land she has already purchased.

Then we stopped at the surf shop so I could get a rash guard (shirt) to go with the board shorts I found on sale the day before.  It wasn't the quick in-and-out thing Doug was wishing for.  Debbie needed some flip flops and a rash guard for her suit too.  But eventually we made it out of the store and onto the beach.

I told Doug I was feeling a little overwhelmed because, while I had learned a lot in my first lesson, there was still a lot more to know.  He took me out and told me which waves to choose and helped me get turned around on the board.

I didn't do nearly as well yesterday as I did Sunday.  The water was a lot rougher and it was more about fighting through the waves to find the right one.  But it was still fun and I managed to get up every time, even if it wasn't pretty.  Doug's board is a lot more tipsy than the board I used Sunday.  I'm not sure when or how it happened, but I broke my baby toe.  I also crashed into some rocks, but the bruises I got from that are not in places suitable for photos.

My broken baby toe

The funny thing is that last time I was in Costa Rica I broke my toe too.  But that was because I opened a closet door without moving my foot out of the way.  This is a much cooler injury.

Last night I didn't sleep well because we planned a 6:30 a.m. walk on the beach.  I kept thinking I would oversleep.  Plus my toe hurt when I moved.  But it is now 7:30 and all I see out there is a lone surfer.  I think I'll head out before it gets too hot.  Time is flying by!  Soon I will be heading back to Honduras.  I may as well squeeze in as many walks on the beach as I can.

Serving in Costa Rica

Wow!  It's been a while.  A week and 1/2 ago on Sunday my cousin, who lives in Costa Rica, called to say 32 people from Virginia were flying into Costa Rica on Tuesday to serve on a mission team.  They could use my help as a translator.  Since I was eager to visit my cousin and his wife, this seemed like a great opportunity.

On Monday I bought a bus ticket and got everything ready to go.  Tuesday my landlord, Hermida, took me to the bus station at 4 a.m.  The bus left at 5 a.m.  I met some nice people and also had some people from immigration try to swindle me at the border of Nicaragua.  Overall it was a nice trip, but exhausting.  Plus I was still a little sick with a cold.

When I got to the bus terminal in Costa Rica I was still 2 hours from my cousins house.  He had sent friends who held a sign with my name on it so I felt like a famous person.  (Nobody else was greeted that way.)

I got to Doug and Debbie's house and everything was dark.  The team had arrived earlier that day.  They must have been as tired as I was.  It was midnight.  I had been up for almost 24 hours by that point.  So I left my suitcases downstairs and snuck into the bed that I was assigned to.  I was pretty sneaky - nobody heard me come in.

The next day we started with a morning devotion, which we continued every day.  Then we split into 3 groups and headed out to our designated work sites.  I stuck with Debbie that day because she had a lot of logistical things to take care of as the groups settled into their sites.  We rented a pickup truck that we weren't sure was going to endure the week, and ran back and forth between job sites bringing shovels and rakes and brooms, weed whackers, lawn mowers and gas.

By lunch time everyone was ready for a break.  We ate most of our meals at nice restaurants with an occasional packed lunch if there wasn't time to sit down for a meal.  The lady who works at Doug and Debbie's house made some scrumptious breakfasts.  The kids had their first fried platanos and natilla (the Costa Rican version of mantequilla).  She made empanadas one morning and gallo pinto every day, which seems to be very common here - black beans and rice.  Some kids complained about getting rice and beans at every meal, which took me back to the days I swore I would never eat rice and beans again after spending time in Jamaica as a teenager with my family.  But overall, the kids did go out of their way to try new things, kept an open attitude, and seemed to enjoy the new foods.

The second and third day I spent in a tiny village in the mountains.  We served at a little school which was one room for all grades with one main teacher.  I hear they do have a music teacher who comes.  The teacher was an incredible individual.  He has been teaching there for 14 years.  He loves the kids and is very invested in his community.  He told me proudly that there are no bars in his village.

He and I sat after lunch one day and talked about the difference in lifestyles between his village in Costa Rica and my life in Honduras.  He was aware that Honduras was struggling, but he didn't realize how prevalent the poverty is and how much more dangerous it is to live in Honduras.  He showed me around his property and all of the different fruit trees he has there.  Although the property and his home belong to the school, it is clear he is very happy and proud to live there.

When Doug and Debbie asked how they could serve he said that the kids could really use a cement pad to play on when the ground is too mucky from the rainy season.  So each day we mixed cement and created a huge platform.  The whole village seemed to be involved.  Men took days off from work and two of the women who were helping were very pregnant, but not at all afraid of hard work.

I stayed on the work site to help the head of construction communicate with Doug and the team.  Meanwhile another lady who was bilingual spent her days with the kids.  They played games, did crafts, and spent time in the classroom.  After lunch each day we played soccer with the kids and local people.  I normally don't play soccer in Honduras because I am afraid to embarrass myself.  But as an adult member of the team I figured I should set a good example.  It was really fun!  I also learned I am not as horrible as I thought.  From now on I won't hesitate to jump in and play with my kids in Honduras.

I have never experienced community like I did at the Pavona School.  The founder of the village came by and I translated what he said to Doug.  He said that he and the whole village pray for the team throughout the year.  The village waits with excitement for the team to come, and when the team is present, there is a sense of joy and happiness.  The groups each said they felt the happiness within this village too.  It was an awesome experience to work hand in hand with the people there.

Boys up in the mountain school

The finished product

The team was divided into three groups - Faith, Hope and Love

The local village people pitched in and helped the team

Although it is the rainy season, we had no rain while we poured cement

Me with two of the team members and a local lady

My cousin Doug with one of the men who helped him run the job site.

The school kids, me, my cousin's wife Debbie, and the school teacher

The North American fútbol team and some of the kids after a game

On Saturday and Sunday the teams went on monkey tours and zipline rides.  We had surfing lessons and I learned to surf!  We also rode horses up the beach and into the mountains.  It was a nice way to wind everything up.  Last night my family and I went into town and I got a pair of surf shorts and a rash guard (a surfing shirt).  We are headed out today to hit the waves - is that what surfers say?

For any who may not know, Cindy has had the brain scan.  She is perfectly fine.  The stitches have been removed and she is back at the Breakfast Program.  Thank you for your prayer.

Please pray for Cindy

Yesterday I slept and slept and slept.  No tv, no books, just my bed and me.  I did get up long enough to help my landlord line my windowsills with some really cool plants.  They are called "crown of thorns" or something like that.  With the help of the gardener, we put two plant boxes in each window to keep Mincho (my landlord's cat) from breaking in or jumping up there and spraying.  I really like how they look.  It will be fun watching them flower.

In the evening Lourdes called and asked me to send out a prayer request to my prayer team because Cindy fell out of a tree and is in the hospital.  Lourdes didn't have many details besides that Cindy is on an IV and needs a brain scan which will cost $100.  She is hoping that the church members will cover the cost today if they take up a collection.

As I was putting together the prayer request it was so interesting to see the difference between the shy girl in the photo from last July (with her brother Cristian whom I adore).

And Cindy last week:

Wow has she grown!

I will keep you updated as to Cindy's condition.  Lourdes said that doctors in Honduras don't give much information and get angry if you ask.  So please keep this in mind if I don't have much to offer.  I know a lot of people are praying for Cindy.  Thank you.  She and her family are one of the families from the Breakfast Program that I am closest to.  I have visited their home numerous times.  They sent me cheese when I left to go on vacation.  :)  I am going to do everything I can to help them in this difficult time and I know the people of the church will too.  Thank you for your support from the US!

Missed church this morning because I slept until 10:30, which is unheard of for me.  Normally I am up by 7:30 or 8.  I was surprised, but must have needed it.  Since then I have been up and around a lot.  I can tell I feel better when I want to wash all of my bedding and clean the house.  My nose is runny and I still don't have much of an appetite.  I tried drinking a liquado (like a milkshake with no ice cream) but that just didn't work.  I'll keep drinking juice and stay hydrated.  By tomorrow I should be back to full speed.

(CONTINUED)

My internet went out so I didn't get to post this earlier.  In the meantime I found some cute photos of Cindy and learned that my cousin and his wife have invited me to come to Costa Rica to serve a team of 32 people they are hosting.  I will be translating and helping in any way I can.  I plan to leave Tuesday morning by bus and get to Costa Rica that night.  I will miss the kids, but it is exciting to serve in a new way.



Cindy with her classmates on Valentines Day

Bean soup

Took some ibuprofen for the sore throat and went to the Breakfast Program.  As I got there I was kind of in a daze.  Eunice was watching for me and commented about it - usually I go straight in to say good morning to her, but I was wandering past.

I backtracked and went to say hello and she told me she had a present for me.  They were beautiful earrings, shiny grey, and made of seeds.  I loved them AND they matched perfectly with what I wore today.  I got a ton of compliments on the earrings.

I told Belinda I was surprised to be sick since I hadn't seen anyone else sick.  Boy was I wrong.  Gorge's baby sister, Genesis was sick.  She coughed her way through lunch as I spoon fed her.  Misael was sick too.  But he is pretty good at covering his mouth with is elbow!  Violet had a very runny nose.  Samuel and Gorge are coughing too.  Gorge said he has a sore throat.  Well, now I know why I'm sick.

Because this is her first week, Genesis cries every morning when her mother drops her off.  Then she is okay once she gets busy.  Today her mother came back while Genesis was eating.  Genesis stopped eating, started crying and ran for her mother.  Her mother immediately said Genesis didn't want to eat because she doesn't like onions.  I told her no, she had eaten 3/4 of her food eagerly until she saw her mother.  I tried to get her to eat the rest, but with her mother saying she doesn't eat onions, guess what?!?  Suddenly Genesis wouldn't eat.  Eventually I left as the Mom tried to spoon feed Gorge and Genesis, picking around the onions.

We had a delicious lunch.  It was bean soup, which didn't sound good at first, but it was so good!  And perfect for my cold.  Marlin and I sat and ate lunch together.  Her feet are so swollen they look like when you blow up a doctor's glove and it's a big round ball with the little fingers (or in Marlin's case, little toes) sticking out.  It looks really painful.  She said she was crying from the pain yesterday.  She has to go back to the Dr on the 2nd of August, which really means a Dr will do an exam that day and then she goes back on August 8th to get the results.  I hate seeing Marlin in so much pain!  Belinda says Marlin will be fine, but it worries me.  Although I never tell Marlin that.

Tonight was a prayer group at the church.  I wanted to go, but Belinda needed a ride home, so I figured I would drop her off and rest, then head back down.  Unfortunately, I fell asleep for three hours and woke up too late to go.

Tomorrow we are having a BBQ for the jovenes at the Sarmientos.  I am going early to help prepare the food.  I am happy that people are inviting me to help out with things like this.

I hope I feel better tomorrow.  Or at least discover some medicine that helps.  So far the stuff that normally works is not doing anything but making me super sleepy.

Spreading Germs

In the middle of the night I woke up with a sore throat and this morning as I have been up getting ready for the Breakfast Program, I realize I have a stuffy nose and swollen glands.  I was sick 2 days last week with that stupid stomach bug.  (Hahaha  I just realized I was very hesitant to write "stupid" because in Honduras it is a VERY bad word that nobody ever says.)  I don't want to be sick again today!

First of all I can't stand having people think I'm weak.  I also worry they might  think I'm lazy.  The mentality here is that you go to work or keep going about your business unless you are so sick that you can't get out of bed.  Then you go to the hospital.  There is no thought of resting to recuperate faster and nobody stays home to avoid spreading germs.  They think I'm crazy if I tell people not to greet me with a hug and kiss when I'm sick.

Many people take antibiotics every time they don't feel well and they encourage me to, too.  That drives me nuts because I don't want to take antibiotics for a flu and it drives others nuts because they think if I don't take the antibiotics I am not trying to help myself get better.  The worst part is they take the antibiotics for a couple of days and then stop as soon as they feel better.  Everything we learn about antibiotics in North America is down the tubes here.

(As a side note, I have learned after watching MANY people take chicken bones home to their dogs that dogs do not choke or die from eating chicken bones.  Personally I will not choose to feed my dog chicken bones, but the only way I've seen a dog die so far is being hit by a car.  The dogs here eat a lot of chicken bones.)

The thing I worry about most is that I work with a bunch of pregnant ladies and little kids who receive their only nutrients once a day at the Breakfast Program.  The Breakfast Program is not a good place to go if you are germy.

I'll go for a few hours and give less hugs than normal and try to come home early.  We have a special prayer meeting at the church tonight at 5 so I was planning on staying down there all day and attending the time of prayer.  I know it will be really special.  We'll see how long I last.

New kids

Today was a free day in the preschool
The kids love getting out all of the toys.

New Kids:

Gorge enjoyed the cars so much...
he tried to take them home.
His peers explained the rules
and Gorge agreed not to steal from the classroom

 


Jorge's sister, Genesis, cries until she gets into the classroom
Then she has fun!

Donny and Gabriel were new today
This is also the first photo they have ever seen of themselves.

 



New girls drawing together

Myley had a clean diaper today
 

Familiar Faces:

Milagro loves the village



Samuel was busy with big cars



Cindy is getting so big!
She never cries anymore

Yesterday I promised the kids they could have a free day to play with all of the toys today.  They sit every day in a class full of toys and focus on learning their numbers and colors, but we haven't had a day yet for them to just dig through the toys and play.  I chose Thursday because Fridays we usually have a larger group and I thought Thursday would be more manageable.  But guess what?  School was closed today, so we had a TON of kids.

This week some Moms have been showing up with their kids.  We have had to explain that the Mothers can wait out by the gate, but the kids do better if the Mothers leave and let the kids be on their own.

The preschool kids are starting to get the hang of things.  We pray with the big kids.  Then we walk in a nice line to the classroom door where (mostly to practice counting, but also to get everyone's attention) I walk down the line, tapping each of them on the head, and we count how many kids there are.  The kids are finally all counting together.  Today we had twelve kids.  But Memo thought we had 13, so we counted again to be sure.  They enjoy counting loudly.

The two brand new boys could not believe they were allowed to play on the rug.  They didn't even need any toys to entertain them.  They rolled around on the rug saying, "Que rico!" over and over.  Apparently rolling on the rug felt really good to them.  It appeared to be a new experience.

All of the kids did an excellent job sharing and playing together.  They had a wonderful time with no prompts at all from me.  I gave them a five minute warning, and when it was time to clean up they did a great job!

We were lined up at the door to go eat when Memo pointed out that Gorge, a new boy, had stuffed his pockets full of Matchbox cars.  Gorge was trying to take the cars home with him.  I sat down next to Gorge and explained to him that this is OUR classroom to share.  If every person takes the toys home we won't have any toys left to share in the classroom.  Gorge seemed to understand.  Memo burst in saying he doesn't steal from the classroom.  (I realize it has to be REALLY hard for them not to take things home with them.)  I asked Gorge if he could promise me that he would not take anything from the class or from the church.  Gorge assured me that he would not take anything home with him ever again.  I believe him, but I'll keep an eye on him too.

I love that the kids see the classroom and the church as something they want to protect.  They make me proud.  I told them we had a really great day and we will definitely play again soon since they were so good at sharing and putting everything away.  They asked if it will be tomorrow?  When I said no they didn't seem too disappointed.  I think they like the more structured days too.

So long self

Remember a long time ago when Lourdes sat down with me and talked to me about the things I needed to work on?  I was able to thank her yesterday.  She told me she could see big changes in me!  At the time I thanked her for having the courage, love and desire to challenge me to change myself.  She told me that I was so busy protecting myself and building walls that I was limiting myself to only shallow, safe relationships where I was never vulnerable.  She challenged me to give people a chance.  I remember feeling terrified about the idea of opening myself up to people.  The idea was so scary I cried.

But look at me now!  I am so grateful for her feedback.  I am grateful that I was able to hear it in the way she and God intended it for me.  I am grateful that instead of criticism, I was able to hear and see the love that Lourdes was sharing with me.  She was genuinely concerned and wanted a better life for me.

I will miss the Sarmientos when they move to the US.  But because Lourdes confronted me about areas where I needed to grow, I will not be as alone as I might have been.  I will always have their support and now that God has helped me open my heart to friends, I will have the support of many others.

At the same time that I am thankful to Lourdes, I am also thankful to each friend who stuck by my side while I was learning about friendship.  I am extremely grateful to God.  While I did put forth effort to change in the ways Lourdes suggested, I know only He can make the changes that occurred in my heart.  I pray that I will continue to grow in my love for others, continue to keep my heart open and vulnerable, and continue to listen and learn when others speak to me in truth and love.

The Runner

I saw two things today that I have only seen in Honduras.

The first is the boy who runs in rush hour traffic.  I think he runs every morning since I see him often.  I think he runs the same route because I see him within a half mile strip of the same street every time.  I think he is mentally ill.  There are two reasons I think this - one is that no person in their right mind would run down the middle of the passing lane of traffic as fast as they can run during rush hour traffic in Honduras.  The second reason is more about the look on his face.

He is really, really fast and always runs at full speed.  He wears pants cut off at the calf and bare feet.  He is dirty and unkempt.  I have never seen a car beep at him or swerve to go around him.  He is fast enough to keep  up with traffic.  I don't know what he does at stoplights.  I can't imagine him slowing down or stopping.  I picture him zooming through the light at full speed with confidence that everyone else will move out of his way.

I wonder why he runs in the middle of the street during rush hour.  Does he think he's a car?  Does he wish he had a car?  Does he believe that because he can run as fast as a car he shouldn't have to use the sidewalk?  I also wonder what he does during the rest of his day.  Does he run at top speed all over the city all day?  I think any other person would get tired quickly at the speed he runs.  However, for some reason I think that he could run like that all day.

The first time I ever saw him I gasped out loud and was terrified for him.  Now he makes me smile.  Passing him by (he runs in the opposite direction) has become a normal part of my commute.  Someday I hope to get a picture but it will be difficult because he is very fast.

The second thing I saw today that I have only seen in Honduras was my neighbors piling onto their motorcyle.  I did get a picture, but I don't have a way to post it right now and you can't see all of the details.  I learned in my driver's ed class last week that the law in Honduras (though it doesn't make sense to me and NOBODY follows it) is that if a man is on a motorcycle, he must be alone.  If a woman is on a motorcycle, she can have one female passenger.  I double checked with Walter to make sure I understood the law correctly.  Maybe the reason nobody abides by the law is because it doesn't make sense.

Anyway, you all know I am kind of obsessed with machetes.  So today as I was going home my next door neighbors were parked on the side of the street.  Driving the motorcycle was a man.  Behind him was a child who appeared to be about two years old.  And balancing on one leg with an orange and white bag the size of a big garbage bag in his left hand and a machete in his right hand was a man trying to swing his left leg over the back of the motorcycle.  He was trying to get on without falling down, knocking over the bike, pushing the child off, or chopping anyone with his machete.  It was quite an act.

I passed by and pulled up to my gate.  Then I sat and got my camera ready, dying for a good shot of the three people on the bike with a machete and a bag the size of Santa Claus's.  I thought I could get a good shot from inside my car and they would never know the difference.  But after a while I figured they must have gone in the other direction.  I got out of the car and started to unlock the gate, camera in hand just in case, and there they were.  The guy on the back was balancing successfully with no hands on our horrible, rutted road.  He gave me a big grin as if to say, "Look!  I did it!"   I smiled and waved.  Haha!  Life in Honduras is anything but boring.

Now if we can just beat the US in soccer tonight!  I hate going to the Breakfast Program the day after Honduras loses to the US.  It is painful.

No Guasalos

Wow, I can't believe it!  This blog is averaging almost 100 readers every day!  Thank you for joining in on the journey.  I'll do my best to keep you entertained, while being honest and forthcoming along the way.

Last night I didn't sleep until 4:30 a.m.  Jairo told me that the reason there was part of a loaf of bread eaten and the window was open was because a guasalo had come into my house.  He said guasalos eat chickens, cats and small dogs.  Josselyn told me to look it up on the internet but I am so glad I didn't!  They are ugly things.  I wouldn't have slept a wink all night.

Today Don Juan told me they are really hard to kill.  It's a lot like a possum.  I also couldn't sleep because all around my bed smelled like urine.  I checked the sheets, blankets, floor, pillows, and sprayed the doors and windows with vinegar.  I could not figure out where that smell was coming from.  Individually everything seemed fresh and clean, but clearly it was not.

This morning as I was getting ready in a sleep deprived haze, I noticed Jetty sniffing the box spring in that funny way that she does when there is an odd smell around.  I got down on my hands and knees and smelled the box spring.  Male cat urine.  There was no guasalo in my house.  A male cat had come, marked its territory, ate some bread and left.  That explained why the veggies were left untouched.  I cleaned the box spring and headed off for the Breakfast Program.

While I was at the church I received an email from my cousin's wife inviting me to visit them at their house in Costa Rica. Next week they are hosting a team of 32 people who are visiting from the US to serve in Costa Rica.  As I talked to Jairo about my trip he suggested I go while the team is visiting.  He said to go for as long as I like since I could be help because I have hosted a bunch of teams during my time in Honduras.  I thought that sounded incredible!  I am not sure if it will work out or not, but it would be really cool to be able to translate for them and help in any way I can.  I am waiting to hear if the pastor will allow me to join the team or not.  (It is understandable if I can't.  These sort of trips are so special, sometimes people hesitate to let an outsider in.)

When I got back home this afternoon I noticed Jetty sniffing a spot on the wall.  More urine.  And there was one curtain that stunk.  I am sure I will find more spots as time goes on.  In the meantime the curtain is soaking in vinegar and I rewashed the box spring.  It has been raining since last night so in the humidity makes it hard to discern where the odors are coming from.  Hopefully I've discovered most of the spots in the bedroom.  I'll worry about downstairs after I get some sleep.

A home invader

Today I stopped at three places trying to find an iced coffee for Belinda and me on the way to the church.  Turns out neither Burger King nor Wendy's sell anything but black coffee in Honduras.

There was another new boy in the preschool class and Crystal is now coming regularly.  Memo is so darn funny I have a hard time maintaining the same expectations for him as I have for the other kids.  I need to be more consistent with him.  We are still working on colors.  Misael is still at the top of the class.  He knows almost all of his colors.  Crystal only knows "yellow" which she cannot say in Spanish, only in English.  Very strange.  Memo knows a few and the others have no clue.  Today I had them running around the classroom bringing me things that were whatever color I called out.  Then we read a book about colors and identified objects that are typical of that color.  It is good for Misa to know more than the other kids.  He does not learn easily, so this should boost his confidence.

I stopped at the pharmacy to get more prednizone for Jetty.  The lady next to me asked if the medicine was for me.  I was embarrassed to say that it was for my cat.  She told me that she asked because she takes the medicine for asthma.  I told her that my cat has asthma too.  Later I told Jairo about the conversation.  He said, "Right now that lady is telling her family - You won't believe what happened today!  There was a gringa at the pharmacia buying medicine for her CAT!"   He said they are all having a good laugh about the gringa giving pills to a cat.  I'm sure he is right.

I talked to him about the fact that there were NO police road blocks today.  There are always at least two.  He said that the police are very busy protecting all of the North Americans who are in Honduras for "One Nation, One Day".  He said that it is difficult because the police are exhausted and cannot do their jobs because they are having to follow around the large groups of North Americans.  Then the North Americans get a false sense of security and go home saying that Honduras is very safe, when actually they were not here under normal circumstances.  He asked if I had read the press release that talked about rising violence and that NO place is safe - even the tourist areas that used to be considered reasonably safe.  Rather than advising people to stay out of certain specific areas they are advising people not to walk alone at all, no matter where they are.

Jairo said he is happy I have my Honduran driver's license now.  He said that although it was legal for me to drive before, the police can always hassle me.  He told me if I ever get stopped by police to immediately call a church member for help and NEVER go anywhere with the police.  (People are getting killed by men posing as police.)  He said to tell them kindly that I need to call the US Embassy and I will wait in my car until someone is able to come and be with me.  I have seen how fast people from the church respond to situations like this.  Even after Jairo leaves, if I were to ever have a problem there are many people I can call who would be there immediately to help me.  But I do need to look up the 24 hour phone line for the US Embassy so I have it programmed into my phone.

Jairo and Lourdes made chop suey for Josselyn's boyfriend, Geral's birthday tonight.  It was delicious!  While we were waiting for the food to be done, Jairo turned on some traditional music and was dancing in the living room.  Then Lourdes joined him.  Soon we were all dancing.  Lourdes even dragged Walter up to dance.  He HATES dancing and always refuses to join in.  Joss danced with her Dad, Lourdes with Walter, and I danced with Joss's boyfriend, Geral.  He is a great dancer.  We danced until we were all sweaty and out of breath.  Lourdes told Walter that this could be his new exercise regime.  He didn't bother to answer her.

Lourdes gave me the coolest earring holder.  It is a piece of plastic that you use for embroidery or something, hanging from a pants hanger.  The plastic has holes that are perfect to stick earrings through and the hanger has a hook in the middle where I hung necklaces that match the earrings.  I love it!

After we sang happy birthday and ate tres leches cake with ice cream and chocolate wafers, it was time for Jairo to take Geral, Belinda and her kids back down to the city.  I stayed with Lourdes and talked with her about the boys who are going, and will go next year, to the private school in Olancho.  Next year there should be 14 boys!  I want to be a part of helping with them after Lourdes moves.  I have already helped with parts of the work - there is a lot to do.  Lourdes said it is part of Belinda's job description, but I told her I would like to do as much as I can.  Lourdes got out her sewing machine and took in a pair of shorts for me that were too big.  Finally Jairo came home and I realized it was 11pm, so I headed home.

When I got home I noticed that something had gnawed a big hole in a bag of bread on the kitchen table and eaten a lot of the bread.  I was disgusted.  At first I thought it was a very big and very hungry rat.  Then I noticed that a window screen was open.  Yesterday that same screen was open when I got back from eating lunch with my landlords.  Apparently something is coming inside my house and eating my bread!  I called Joss and told her I was worried the thing was still in the house!  Jairo said it is some animal I never heard of before.  It left the broccoli and green pepper that were sitting on the table next to the bread.  It didn't gnaw into the dry cat food that was stored on the floor right next to the table!  Jairo said I need to be really careful because this animal eats chickens, cats and small dogs!  And it was sitting on my kitchen table!!!  I certainly hope it left.  I also hope it can't climb the spiral staircase.  But now you know why I am doing a blog entry at 2:30 in the morning.  Ugh.  I am not ready to close my eyes and sleep yet.

Dancing with Javier at Joss's party.  He is a really good dancer.

Heber, Javier and Kike at Joss's party
Each of these boys serve at the Breakfast Program

Dancing with the jovenes

Yesterday evening I finally dragged myself out of bed for the first time since I woke up with a stomach bug on Thursday.  I was supposed to go out to dinner Friday night with Belinda and a girl who was staying with her from North America, but they didn't end up going so I stayed in bed until Saturday.

After 3 days of rest I showered, fixed my hair, put on a cute dress and felt pretty good.  The original plan was that Marcela ride with me to Josselyn's party at Belinda's, but at the last minute Marcela couldn't go so I had to go by myself.  It was after dark and I needed to stop for gas and something to drink.  I normally don't go out after dark except to drive straight home, so I was a little hesitant.

I locked myself into the car and drove to the gas station.  Gas stations are almost always full service here.  The man who worked there was kind and made me more relaxed, but I didn't dare get out of the car to go into the gas station for a drink.  I decided to go to Mas x Menos (a fancy supermarket where there are armed guards) to grab a Gatorade.  When I pulled up to Belinda's house I could hear the music pounding from the street.  They were playing the only English song I heard all night.  All of the furniture was moved out of the living room except a couch and a stereo.  Everyone was dancing so I walked into the room dancing and singing the song.  Everyone broke into a huge cheer.  It was quite a welcome!  I think they expect North Americans not to dance.

It got hot and sweaty but we had a great time.  They had tons of little snacks and great music.  Different people kept grabbing me and teaching me how to dance to all of the different types of music.  The hardest one was the most traditional Honduran dance.  You just slide you feet and wiggle your hips, but it's hard!  Next time I'll have to wear more slippery shoes because my heels kept getting stuck.  Or maybe I just can't do it.  Yet.  I need more lessons.  When we got too hot we hung out on the porch and talked.  It was a great opportunity for me to bond with the jovenes (youth).

Belinda, Walter and I were there to chaperon, but there was no need for us.  Everyone was well behaved and enjoyed themselves.  At 11:30 we turned off the music.  Everyone helped put the furniture back in place.  All of the kids from Los Pinos piled into the van with Walter.  I had to take Joss and her cousin to pick up her other cousin and Aaron at a club.  Walter drove ahead of us because it was not safe for me to go there alone.  After we picked up Aaron and his cousin, Walter headed for Los Pinos and I took everyone else home.  Aaron gave good directions, but kept encouraging me to run red lights.  I joked that if I get a ticket he has to pay it.  Then Aaron reminded me that for safety reasons at night it is best never to stop in the city.  I had been told the same thing by my landlords and others.  But since I never drive in the city at night, I forgot.  After Aaron reminded me not to stop I slowed down enough to look both ways, then ran every red light.  It was awesome!  Everyone else did it too so you had to look carefully.  A few times we did have to stop because cars were coming the other direction.  But with Aaron's help we made it home safely.  Joss had a great party and Aaron had a good night at the club.

This morning I was slow getting out of bed and late for church.  I sat with Karla and the kids.  Jose was at his college class.  (Yes, on Sunday mornings!)  There were a lot of kids from the Breakfast Program there.  Each of them wanted hugs, which was awesome.  I got my fill of hugs today!  In fact I was thinking I may have been greeted by more people than any other person in the church since I got to say hello to many of the adults and almost all of the kids.  I am so lucky!  After church I was one of the last to leave.  That is a record for me.  Usually I bolt out of there.

I made plans to meet with Lourdes on Wednesday to work on sponsorship for the boys in El Sembrador.  On Tuesday I am having lunch with Raquel!  She learned that she is going to have a baby girl.  She is very excited about that.  Raquel is very feminine.  She will be a great Mommy for a little girl.  Monday I am helping Joss celebrate her boyfriend's birthday.  Lots of good things to look forward to this week, and that does not even include my time with the kids at the Breakfast Program, which I look forward to most.  Can't wait to see those kids tomorrow!

Not Busy

Well, this is what I get for writing a post called "Busy" last night.  The only way I am busy today is running to the bathroom.  Woke up at 4 a.m. with a stomach bug.  I'm not too worried because others have had the same - fever, headache and stomach flu.  For them it lasted about 2 days, but when I called Belinda at 7:15 (because I knew she would be awake and because in Honduras you can call people after 6 a.m.) she said in the name of Jesus I will be better tomorrow.  I hope I can at least take them shopping for Joss' party, even if I am not able to go out for pizza.

My friend who had his eye removed yesterday had an operation this morning on the other eye.  Since I was awake I have been praying for him.  His name is Ned if you would like to pray for him too.

It rained all night and is still cloudy.  I have a bunch of books and plenty of liquids.  Not a bad day to stay home in bed.

Busy!

Lourdes came to the Breakfast Program today.  It was great to have her there.  In the preschool class we are still working on colors and numbers.  Misael, who used to be furthest behind, is now the head of the class.  Scarlet still cries but only for about two minutes instead of 15.  It is crazy watching these kids grow up in front of me.  Last year Violet cried and tried to escape from the classroom every day.  Some days she cried until she vomited and urinated on the floor.  Now she is eager to be in class and raises her hand to take turns even when she doesn't really know the answer.  Samuel used to just run out of the class but today he raised his hand and asked to "inate".  I asked what he was saying and nobody knew.  It was not just my Spanish skills.  Finally he said "Pee!"  Oh!  He needed to "Urinate" (the same in English and Spanish).  I learn something every day.  Next time Samuel needs to "inate" I won't make him sit there for three minutes while I try to figure out what he's saying.

In the afternoon Lourdes set up all of her jewelry makings and taught the ladies from her discipleship group how to make earrings and necklaces.  By the end there was a table of men and boys making jewelry too.  It was really fun at first, but I do not have patience for those meticulous little things.  The other ladies LOVED it.  What an honor to learn jewelry making from Lourdes!

I took Lourdes home afterward and spent some time with her, going through things she is selling before their move.  She gave me some books to learn Spanish and some things for the preschool.  Josselyn and I did some party planning for her party Saturday.  Then I came home and locked myself out of my house.  Luckily, Hermida was home and has an extra key.  She invited me for dinner.  It was nice to have a family dinner.  After dinner Hermida and I sat and chatted while Carlos went outside to figure out why we smell something dead outside and there are suddenly huge carnivorous birds around.  He didn't find anything in the area where we smelled something, but remember yesterday when I said the birds were dropping things on the clothes line?  He found the bones of an enormous dead snake.  Carlos said the head was bigger than a large grapefruit and the snake was about 6 feet long, which is not that big, but pretty big.  Glad I didn't go up to fix the clothes line.  That might have freaked me out!

Tomorrow I have to bring people from the Breakfast Program to Lourdes' house after the Breakfast Program.  Lourdes wants to give them the first crack at buying her things.  Then Joss and I are going to make cookies.  Friday we have to shop for everything for Joss's party and Belinda wants me to go to dinner with Belinda, her boys, a girl from North America and the girl's boyfriend.  How we will all fit in my car is my biggest concern.  I am trying to talk them into going without me and taking a cab.  I still can't get used to the lax attitude people in this country have about seat belts and car safety.  Saturday I might go to see Anisia (the lady who gave me the cool jewelry at church last week) baptized in the morning.  Then Hermida and I are talking about going to the Stadium to celebrate One Nation, One Day.  Today I met people from Denmark who are here for that event.  There are thousands of people in Honduras to celebrate, but I don't know much about it. At night I am supposed to help chaperon Joss's party.  It's already been a busy week, and it's not slowing down!  But at least I have lots of good things going on.

This morning I learned that a friend from K2 is having surgery today to have one eye removed.  He was in an accident at his work, lost two fingers and was in a medically induced coma until Monday.  Then he woke up to be told that he has to have an eye removed and may never see from the other one.  I can't stop thinking about how he must feel and praying for him.  This morning I also learned that a really special friend lost his mother suddenly.  He adored his Mom and was out of the country when she passed.  I wish I were closer so I could be a better support.  Sending messages on Facebook doesn't feel like enough.  On Sunday night a friend from childhood lost her father in a motor cycle accident.  I spent a lot of time in prayer today.  I am happy and grateful for all of the good things in my life, but my heart is a little heavy for the pain of others today.

Officially Official

Today went not at all as I expected, but turned out fine.

I was bracing myself for the 5:30 alarm, but woke up at 5:29 and stayed in bed until the alarm went off.  Jetty is not used to getting up at that hour so she ended up covered in blankets with only her head poking out after I made my bed.  (Normally she gets up with me.) Getting up that early was not as painful as I had been bracing myself for.

By the time I picked Walter up the sun was shining brightly, even though it was only 6:40.  We hit a little traffic and made it to the Transito (DMV) a couple minutes late.  Walter usually does the talking for me when we are in situations like that, which I appreciate, so I think the teacher assumed I didn't know much Spanish.  As I signed in he discreetly told Walter that Walter could take the written test for me.  Walter told me later so I was relaxed throughout the class.  He took a ton of notes.  I think he was a little worried about not doing well for me.  He said it's been a long time since he took the test.  When the teacher came around with paper to take notes, I asked for one.  He was surprised I could write in Spanish.

The class was really funny.  We were laughing all of the way through it.  He told one boy to put his hat on straight and went into a big monologue about why it is important to wear your baseball cap the correct way.  He had a bunch of jokes about taxi drivers.  He definitely did a good job making dry material fun.  He explained what the laws are, but also how to drive in Honduras - where people don't follow the laws.  I never imagined you'd need to tell people in driver's ed that they should not stop directly UNDER the stop light.  But I see it every day and so the teacher did his job trying to correct people.  He talked FAST.  I guess that's to be expected.  A lot to cover.  But there were some words I had never heard like "curb", and a bunch of different types of accidents.

I got an 80%, which wasn't bad since I didn't know some of the words and I didn't try too hard because I thought they would only use Walter's test.  They didn't need to use his copy since I passed on my own!  I didn't have to take a driver's test since I had a license from another country.  The driver's test consisted of driving around in a circle in the parking lot.  There were more people driving motorcycles than cars.

Finally it was time to go to the building where they handed out the licenses.  I didn't know until later when Walter told me, that I was in line next to one of Karla's psychology teacher.  She is very nice.  She thought I was alone so she told me I could go through the process with her and her partner.  I told her my friend was waiting outside.  She explained to me all of the things on my personal information card that I didn't understand.  For example, my face is described as eagle shaped.  (I don't really like that description.)  They used a strange word that I don't remember to describe my hair - I'm guessing it means brunette.  They got my eyes right this time, although Karla's teacher said they look green to her.  And they wrote that my mouth was "grande" (big).  Hahaha!  They got that one right.  :)

The line for the data input was immense and I was disappointed because I learned that we had to get our pictures taken again.  We were told to bring one with us and I liked the way mine had turned out.  I thought that was going to be on my license so I wasn't focused on looking presentable when I got ready at 5:30 this morning.  Karla's teacher told me not to worry, it's only the smile that matters.  She was a cool lady.

I watched her leave with her license as I had my photo taken.  Then everything went crazy.  I don't know how she got out of there so soon.  People were yelling that they had been waiting hours.  The waiting area was jammed with people, many very frustrated.  Walter said there is nothing we can do but wait.  I am learning patience from Walter and Jairo.

Finally at about 2:30 they announced that if you had been there since morning you could go to a special window to check and see if your license was ready because it was so loud some people couldn't hear their names being announced.

There was a crowd of about 15 people who all thought they needed to be first in line.  I realized that being a foreigner usually helps me in this sort of situation, but today it didn't seem to matter.  I made a vow to myself to be more grateful in the future when exceptions are made for me because I don't look the same as everyone else.  Some guy came and brought food to the workers.  I was starving!  When  I saw the food I said I was starving.  The lady next to me said she was ready for lunch.  I told her I was ready for breakfast and lunch since I had been there since 7 a.m.  She told people around me that I had been there since 7 a.m. and they made space for me in the front.  From that viewpoint I could see that the computers were crashing about every 3 minutes, so they could only print about 3 cards and then they would have to reboot the computer.  Finally the same man who had taken my picture looked up.  He noticed me and motioned that he would do mine soon and asked me to wait.  I gave him a thumbs up and a smile, which was hard at that point.  Sure enough, I saw my name and face pop up on the computer.  The lady next to me got excited for me.  They printed out the card and passed it through the window, I thanked them and left.

So I am officially official.  The only thing I still need to do is get the car in my name, but a friend has his lawyer working on that.

Last night Karla asked me if I would want to go away for Jose's birthday in two weeks rather than celebrating here.  I told her I would LOVE to!  She is working out the details.  That will be so fun!

Yesterday when I got home I followed my landlord's brother up the driveway.  He and his wife, Milhem (spelled phonetically because I don't know how to spell her name), stopped and talked for a while.  They are always full of good information.  I am still not quite ready for new tires on my car, according to Gerry, but when I am they know where I can get good tires at a great price.  They also said that when I am in the city I need to be very careful about mosquito bites because dengue is going around.  If I get a pain in my eyes or a fever I need to call Milhem immediately at any hour of the day or night because it must be treated right away.  They know a good Dr who knows exactly how to treat dengue.  And it is not spread in dirty water, it is in clean sitting water.  Never knew that.  Gerry says it is supposed to be too cold for the dengue mosquito to live up here in the mountains, but he personally thinks it is possible.  He described it to me so I'll know what to look for - a mosquito with white stripes on its wings.  I told them I have never seen that bug before, but assured them if I feel sick I will call them immediately.

They also said that we are getting a new neighbor.  They told me who he is, but I can't remember.  Anyway he is someone REALLY important.  That is why yesterday I saw a caravan of cars with police motorcycles and flashing lights pass the house.  Apparently this important person bought the property next to ours.  Gerry said the important man already plans to clean up the spot where people dump garbage on the side of the road.  Gerry is very excited about that.  He also said they are going to improve the actual roads, which are so rutted right now from the rainy season that it is hard to drive on them.  Milhem said the security of this whole area should be better.  Maybe some day I will be able to go for a walk by myself!

Within the past couple of days some huge birds have moved into the trees outside my bedroom.  They look a lot like eagles, but not quite.  I think they are doing spring cleaning because they keep dropping huge things on my roof and on the ground.  They just broke my landlords' clothes line.

Well that's today's news from Honduras!  Thank you for joining me.

Humbled and Blessed by friendship

Last night I spent the night at Karla and Jose's house.  They way things are situated on the side of the mountain, Karla and Jose have to park on land that is their neighbors' property.  As I parked and headed down to Karla's house, the neighbor lady said she hadn't seen me in a while.  I have noticed her before.  She lives in a cement house with no windows.  Well, there are windows, but they have no glass or anything.  They are just big square holes in the wall.  Sometimes I see her as she squats outside next to an open fire to cook her meals.  I have wondered what the inside of the house is like and what it feels like to live there.  I never knew she noticed me too.  I told her that it's true she hasn't seen me in a while because I went to the US for about a month.  Then she said no, I saw you here 2 weeks ago.  (Which made me laugh inwardly since she started the whole conversation by saying she hadn't seen me in a while.)  I told her it was possible that she saw my car, because my friend borrowed the car while I was gone, but I haven't visited Karla and Jose in about a month.  She decided that yes, my friend had come with my car and even pointed out where he had parked two weeks ago.  It was a funny little conversation.  At least she is keeping track of things.

Yesterday as I drove up the crazy "road" (more like what my father would call a goat trail) to Karla and Jose's house I had to pull over because Jose was leaving.  He had to meet with the jovenes (youth group) and then play soccer with people from work.  That gave Karla and me a couple of hours to catch up.  It was nice.  We sat and talked while the girls entertained themselves.

When Jose got home they put the girls to bed and we had an adult dinner, then watched a movie.  I am finally able to help Karla cook.  It certainly took a long time for me to be helpful in a Honduran kitchen.  We had a yummy dinner of chicken tacos with guacamole, homemade salsa, and a sort of creme fraiche with jalapeños.  We all ate too much.  It rained a few times.  Sometimes the rain was so loud on their tin roof we had to yell to hear each other speak.

I slept really well until the strangest sounding rooster woke me up at 4:30 a.m.  I heard a gunshot soon after and wished someone was after that darn rooster but he continued to make his odd yodeling sound that was nothing like a good old cock-a-doodle-do.

Valery chose a dress with three layers of ruffles this morning to wear to church.  Then she spent the morning dancing and watching the ruffles move.  It was awesome.  Valery is TEN years old now!  Gosh, I can't believe it.  When I first met Valery she was non-verbal (as a result of Down Syndrome) and could be quite aggressive.  Anyone who spent time with her had bruises on their arms and neck because she pinched a lot.  Since I moved here I have noticed she is a cheerful, happy girl.  It is nice to see she is not as frustrated as she used to be.  She can talk a little now, which I am sure makes a big difference.  We are continually amazed by how smart Valery is.  She knows a lot of things that nobody expects her to know.

After church we had a "picnic" on the porch with a picnic blanket and pillows to sit on.  Then we went to the movies to see Despicable Me 2.  In Spanish it is called Mi Villano Favorito (my favorite villain). I had seen the first Despicable Me when I visited Jody in the US and loved it, so I was excited to see part two.  We all enjoyed it.

Next weekend we are throwing a going away party for Joss at Belinda's house.  The following weekend I am invited to a small birthday party for Jose.  Karla commented that it is nice to see me interacting with so many people now at church.  I remember I used to write about how I hated waiting around after the service while people socialized.  (Partly because I was always hungry and partly because I felt uncomfortable and bored.)  Now I have plenty of people to talk with and sometimes don't even get time to talk to people I want to see.  I am a social butterfly these days.  Just kidding.  I wouldn't go that far.

But for example, a month ago I was talking with someone and another lady whom I didn't know told me she had a necklace for me.  She said it was my style and she thought I would like it so she would bring it to church the following week.  I explained I would be gone for a month, but thank you.  She said she would bring the necklace in a month.  Today a few minutes into the service a lady passed something to Karla and motioned for Karla to give it to me.  It was the coolest necklace ever - with a matching bracelet!  And it was perfect for the outfit I had on today.  I loved it and thanked her for it.  Then I had to ask Karla her name about 4 times.  Her name is Anisia.  How cool that she could recognize my style and that she would bother to give me something when I don't remember ever having a conversation with her before!  People here are very kind.  Remember that a church member helped me purchase my car and then paid for a year of insurance for the car out of the blue too?  I didn't know that family very well either.  I guess that sometimes I am just as blessed by people I don't really know as I am by my amazing friends.

Ever since I went to the US I feel like God has been telling me that I need to acknowledge (to myself) and appreciate my friends more.  My time in the US allowed me see the awesome friendships I have there, and made me realize that I have built great friendships in Honduras too.  In North America we are raised to be independent.  We are taught that it is bad/weak to rely on others.  Life experiences led me to believe that people were not worthy of my trust.  I have never trusted in my friends the way I have learned to recently.  It feels incredible to open myself up, to leave myself vulnerable, and to see friends support me in ways I never imagined they would.  For the first time, I know who I am to them, and I know who they are to me.  I never gave them the opportunity to be that sort of friend to me before.  In Honduras I have learned to open up my heart.  I have been disappointed and hurt, but more often I have been humbled and blessed.

Honduras won!

Jetty slept well last night.  I'll give her the second dose of Prednozone today.  This morning when Jose called me at 6:45 a.m., I noticed the sun was shining so I opened all of the windows in the house.  The dehumidifier seems to get us down to about 57% humidity, but that's still too high.  I'm hoping the rain will hold off today so I can keep the house open and air things out.

In the US I was always taught not to call anyone before 9 a.m. or after 9-10 p.m.  In Honduras at least once/month someone calls me before 7 a.m.  I think it's because the sun comes up at 5:30 so most people wake up early.  I was in the middle of a nice dream and would have loved to sleep past 6:45 this morning.  Ended up Jose wanted to know if I had a copy of "March of the Penguins".  I don't.

Tonight I am going to Jose and Karla's house for dinner and to spend the night.  We always have fun, even if we don't really do anything.  When I visited Honduras in 2009 I lived with Karla and Jose for 3 months.  We have been close ever since.  They are so busy with full time jobs, full time college and 2 kids (one with Down Syndrome) that I appreciate every second I get to spend with them.

Last night at Belinda's we had a full house.  When the sofa and chairs were full we spread out pillows on the floor.  We made nachos and ice cream sundaes with lots of different toppings. (I got Skittles as toppings because the boys I used to work with in the US loved them on sundaes.  My Honduran friends seemed to agree with me.  Skittles do not belong on sundaes.)  We watched the game and ate until we were going to burst.  Then we gave our leftovers to Belinda's son, Daniel, who kindly finished off what we couldn't eat.  I had fun pointing out the fútbol players I met at the airport last month and showing off the pictures on my phone of me posing with them.  The game was tied at 0-0 at the end of 90 minutes.  The only thing I don't like about fútbol is that it can end in a 0-0 tie.  For some reason that frustrates me.  But they had 3 minutes of overtime.  Right at the very end Honduras scored!  It was exciting.

Preschool has quadrupled in size in 3 days

The preschool class is already growing!  On Wednesday there were four kids, yesterday seven and today twelve.  I am thinking back to how it grew to 27 and hoping it will be more manageable this time.  Belinda said that the younger kids can go into the nursery like they used to after Lourdes realized how unproductive it was, so that will help out a TON.  Now I need to assess where the kids are and what they need to learn.

Usually I ask the kids if they can write their names.  If they say no, I write it on the top of their paper for them.  Today when Jose said no I took his hand in mine and helped him write his name.  He had done two pages of work so when I started to help him with the second page he shook my hand off and said he wanted to try by himself.  He did it!  He looked at the letters on the first page and copied them really well onto the second.  The S and the E were a little bit higher up on the paper than the first two letters of his name, but he wrote them all!  He is a really smart boy.  I also learned that Misael has retained all of the colors he learned a few months ago.  That was great to see.  He is maturing a lot lately.  He still has crying fits, but they don't last as long.

There was a new boy, Bryon, who is only 3 years old but was able to concentrate and did really well too.  I told his older brother, Kevin, how well Bryon did today in hopes that Kevin will bring Bryon back on a consistent basis.  Only Scarlet screamed and cried.  But she stopped eventually so I am very hopeful that we will have a productive learning environment.

A couple of days ago Kevin asked me to teach him English.  He has a workbook that we worked in yesterday.  When the other boys saw they all gathered around.  Now we have a conversational English class while we eat lunch.  So far it has been mostly identifying objects asking the difference between a cup, a mug and a glass, but that is a good start.  The boys keep surprising me when they use English to speak to me at other times throughout the day.  I find myself answering in Spanish by accident, which I know is not what they are looking for, but my brain is in Spanish mode.  I need to be more sensitive to that.  It is funny most of them will tell you that they know no English, but when you talk with them, they actually have a good foundation.  It surprises me since I know the educational system they come from is horrible.

Today Jairo and Belinda gave Marlin and Jacky buckets full of supplies that we received from the government a while ago.  The bucket had towels and washcloths, laundry soap and body soap, feminine hygiene products, nail clippers, but the thing that made Marlin most excited was 4 Ziploc bags, each with a toothbrush.  I am pretty sure she was not excited about the toothbrush because I just gave her 2 really nice ones about a month ago.  It had to be the Ziplocs.  She kept showing the baggies to everyone.  I brought two sandwiches to the Breakfast Program today, each in a Ziploc and gave one to her.  People here don't use Saran Wrap, tin foil, baggies, napkins or paper towels like we do in the US.  Some household have napkins on a regular basis.  But generally those things are seen as non-necessities.  If someone has a fridge they stick leftovers in without covering them.  Or sometimes they might cover something with a towel.  We also do not use sponges here, except to clean cars.  In the kitchen we use a flat, square, plastic scrubber which is not absorbent at all.  It drives me nuts to wash the counters at the Breakfast Program with no sponge.  We don't have sponge mops either.  I have searched everywhere and asked other North Americans.  Everyone uses the rope mops.  I am not good at mopping with the rope mop.  That is one thing I may never, ever get accustomed to.

I am home for a couple of hours to turn on the dehumidifier.  Then I am headed back down to the city.  A bunch of us are gathering at Belinda's house to watch Honduras play El Salvador in fútbol.  I am going to bring ice cream sundae makings.  Perfect for a hot day.  I was hoping to get to spend some time with the girl from North America who is here visiting, but apparently she left yesterday for Copán and won't be back until next week.  I talked to her for the first time yesterday.  She said she is leaving in a week.  I remember how I felt when I came to visit for 3 months.  That last week was hard.  In fact everything after the half-way point was hard.  I was so sad about having to go, and at the same time I knew I needed to enjoy every second that I had left in Honduras so I shouldn't waste time being sad.  It was a difficult combination of emotions.

Jetty and I both got a better night's sleep last night.  She was a little wheezy at 3:30 a.m., but the Prednizone seems to help.  I hope it will continue to help her so she doesn't have to be wheezy at all.  In the meantime I am running the leaky de-humidifier whenever I am home and awake.  It is surrounded by towels which I have been wringing out until my hands are raw.  I hope Carlos, my landlord, might have time to figure out where the leak is coming from this weekend so I can stop with the makeshift towel situation.  Both this morning and this afternoon the house was at 90% humidity before I turned on the de-humidifier and it hasn't even rained outside in almost 48 hours.

I am excited to see how the preschool unfolds.  How many kids will there be?  What will they be like to work with?  This is the beginning of another fun new adventure!